Lot 337 Circus Maximus (IRE) ‐ Catch Your Idol (NZ)

Lot 337 chestnut colt Circus Maximus – Catch Your Idol (Zabeel) $160,000 (draft: Curraghmore Stud)

Te Akau has been an advocate for the strong bodied progeny of Circus Maximus (Galileo), and included among their purchases is Towering Vision, who came from last to win the Eagle Technology 3YO 1600 metres on 1 January at Ellerslie, and now on a path towards the $1.25m Trackside New Zealand Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m).

Towering Vision also provided the first stakes win for his young sire, when winning the Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (Listed, 1400m) with a tough performance as a two-year-old.

By the greatest sire of stakes winners in the world, Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), Circus Maximus was a Champion Miler and triple Group One winner that won the St James Palace Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m), a noted stallion-making race, and like Champion racehorse Frankel (Galileo) before him, he also won the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Royal Ascot.

Dam Catch Your Idol was a winner over 1850 metres in Australia, and by the highest stakes producing stallion in NZ history, Zabeel (Sir Tristram), who serves so well the trilogy of breed shaping stallions in New Zealand: Savabeel – Zabeel – Sir Tristram.

Within the New Zealand breeding industry, going back to the introduction of Sir Tristram in 1976, you cannot beat the influence of the blood, going forward through Zabeel and Savabeel, and the host of incredible racehorses they have produced.

The dam of five-time winner Faraglioni (El Roca), multiple placed at Group One & Group Two levels, Catch Your Idol has proven herself as broodmare with five individual winners of 14 races.

The family goes back to Victoria Derby (Gr. 1, 2500m) winner Hit The Roof (Maroof), a son of third dam Good News (Don’t Forget Me), and the pedigree of the colt suggests that he too will develop into a miler to staying type.

“He’s a really athletic individual by the exciting sire Circus Maximus, who was an incredible racehorse in Europe, and we’re very fortunate to be able to buy his progeny in New Zealand,” said David Ellis.

“He’s a great mover, we’re bullish on the sire through the deeds of Towering Vision, who is equal favourite for the Derby, and there in the no doubt that this colt has the right pedigree for classic staying races.”

The colt has a nicely balanced bloodline cross to immortal sire Northern Dancer, in the sire lines of both Circus Maximus and Catch Your Idol.